Filtering apparatus



Feb. 9, 1954 D- J, MUNROE 2,668,623

FILTERING APPARATUS Filed April 6, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 9, 1954 D. J. MUNROE FILTERING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 6, 1950 Patented Feb. 9, 1954 2,668,623 [SCE FILTERING APPARATUS "David J. Munroe, Racine, Wiss assigner to'Webster Electric Company, ltacinepwis., a corporation of Delaware Application April 6, 1950,SerialNo.'1545390` (CL .'210-152) l' 3'Claims. 1 The lpresent invention 'relates to apparatus for filtering or straining fluids and has for one oi' its primary objects the provision of new and iinproved apparatus which rcan be Lmade economically, is durable and efficient in oper-ation, and can be readily Vcombined as a `unitary rstructure withan associated pump.

One ofthe objects -of the present invention is the provision of anew and improvedltering Vapparatusy including a rotary Acleanereleirlent of novel construction.

A furtherobject ofthe present invention is fthe provision of a new and improved filtering apparatus including a cleaner blade assembly comprising a polygonal blade element, the corner portions of which extend into a lter slot and which may be vsupported by la pair of blade `supporting discs secured to the opposite sides of said blade.

A further object of the,present-inventionisto provide -aV new and improved vrotary lter including Va rotatable self-aligning cleaner blade-assembly.

A further object of the present invention is'the provision of a new and improved combined 'fluid pump and rotary filter constructed and arranged so that the filter can be readily driven-'bythe .pump shaft and adds but little to the inertia of the rotating parts of the apparatus yand the load imposed upon the driving motor.y

A still further object ofthe present invention is the provision of a new and improved-combined fluid pump and strainer wherein a ltering slot is provided by a portion of the pump cover plate and includes a complementary cleanerl cover plate, the two plates being so constructed and arranged that they vare held in assembled -relation relative to the remainder of thepump `by the same securing means.

In brief, Athe filter of the present invention includes a structuredening a-narrow annular ltering slot, which structure may include a pair of opposed, slightly spaced apart, annular lter walls on a pump cover plate and a'clean'er cover blade. A rotatable cleaner blade assembly is mounted between the plates. The assembly includes a cleaner blade having aportion extending into the slot. The blade is preferably of polygonal construction and has its corner portions extending into the slot. The blade is relatively thin and is Asupported by discs secured to the opposite sides of the blade. The blade and discs are provided with a central shaft receiving raperture into which extend opposed radial tongues fitting into a diametrica'l slot `on the end of the shaft, whereby the assembly vis drivingly associated with the shaft. The tongue andqslot .connection is such to permit relative axial movement between the shaft and .assembly whereby the .assemblyv is floating or self-aligning inconstruction.

Other" objects and Vadvantages of the present invention -will become apparent from the ensuing description of fan illustrative embodiment thereof, in thecourse of which reierenceis had to the accompanyingdrawings, rin which Fig.v 1 is 'a side -elevational.view, partially in section, o'f a combined pump and iilter constructedin accordance'with the present invention;

`llig. `:lis afcrossfsectional view taken along the line2-2 roi? Fig. "l

Fig. 3 isfan end `felevationzallview, also partly Ibroken away, `of' the apparatus Eig. '4 fisan explodedlviewillustrating details of the Ifilter; vand Fig-I5 is :an yenlargedfragrnentary crosssectional. viewthrough fthe `iilterslot Aand illustrating `the cleaning action ofthe erotary lter blade.

IReferring now to thedrawings and rst to Figs. "1 fand 3, thefpresent inventionA has been illustrated in eonjunctionfwith whatI is'commonly known as a fuel unit. This unit comprises a liquid .(fuel oil) pump, a pressure regulator, and the zrotarynlter of .the :present invention. The inventionmay be used, though, with other appa- 'ratus, such for: instancer as -with lubricating equipment;

'The fuel-unit, as afwhole, is. indicated -by the .reference character 1.8. It comprises a housing :portion .livwithin Whichiis :mounted most of the pump and including aportion` I4 within which is fmountedrthe;pressure regulator. The latter .hasnot 4been illustratedxinzdetailinasmuch as it may takevarioustforms. The .pumpzmay also vbe `of conventional constructionexceptas it may be vmod-ined as hereinafterdescribed'in order to associate-the iilter4 therewith. A portion only of the pump has been illustrated, Athis portion in- .cludingf a gear.r vplate |-6, within which are mounted the compor-ientpartsfof a gear pump such as .the-gears.` i8 andIZ-U, and a lgear cover plate .22. The :housing is completed by an end vpor-tion 2'4fdening1at yitsinterior a liquid inlet .chamber l2li communicating Iwith a suitable source'oiisupplyvoffliuuid through an inlet passageway 28l having: allow. `restricting yorifice 30 therein.` The pump :gears are driven by afmotor driven .sha-it 32 :which pro-jects through the gear coverplateintofchamberaz; The pump includes also a pump dischargepassageway "3ft,4 see Fig. leading toy the pressure-regulator .valveA and a ,pump inletpassageway.SBapartly in the gear plate .and partlyin .theagear cover plate, asindicated by referenceacharacter 38-1'nzFigs. Land 4.

The vfluid-r filtering; apparatus of `the present .invention includes.'structurefdening one or more ffilterslots.. only-'one'fbe'ingf shown, `this kstructure includingfapair of .'annulari-llter walls 40 and 42 .inthexgearfcover plate 2f2-and aiilter cover plate 44, respectively. The4 wally 42 extends axially outward from the gear cover plate 22, while the 3 wall 42 extends inwardly from the cover plate 44. Proper spacing between the two cover plates and lter walls may be obtained in a suitable manner.

As illustrated, this is readily and simply accom" plished by axially projecting bosses 4'6 on the gear cover plate, opposed bosses 48 on the radially outwardly extending fingers'il on the gear cover plate, and the spacer ,shims 52. ment is such as to provide a narrow annular filter slot which is indicated by the reference character 54, the width of which is readily determined by the thickness of the shims 52. including the two cover plates and shims are held in assembled relation by the screw bolts 56, customarily used in holding the gear cover plate in place. As noted above, more than one slot could be used if a higher capacity is required. f

The filter includes also a cleaner blade assembly, indicated as a whole by reference character 50, and mounted in the recess 62 between the cover plates. The cleaner blade assembly for a single slot construction such as that illustrated and described, includes a polygonal, preferablyV square, cleaner blade 64, the corner portions of which extend into the filter slot as well as beyond The arrange- The various parts the peripheries of the annular discs 6B secured to the opposite sides of the blade and supporting it.

' The discs and blade can be held in assembled inch to '.006 inch so that the blade thickness is essentially equal to the slot width.

The cleanerV blade assembly is drvingly connected with the pump shaft 32 in such manner as to permit the blade assembly automatically to align itself in the cleaner slot. This is accomplished by a tongue and slot connection including a central aperture 10 in the assembly, the radially inwardly extending tongues l2 on the assembly, and a diametrical slotV 'I4 at the end of the shaft. Instead of a diametrical slot oppositely located keyways could be formed on the shaft or the shaft could be square or of other'conguration, such as D-shaped and the assembly have a corresponding opening. The driving connection is effective, yet enables the shaft and assembly to have some relative movement, thereby torinake the blade substantially self-aligning to compensate for variations in length of shaft, etc. In the case of the multiple slot construction mentioned above a number of the assemblies can be placed axially of the shaft so as to be individually self-aligning relative to their respective slots.

The-filter unit of the present invention, which may be notedfrom the foregoing detailed description, can be constructed economically and simply. It can be assembled readily relative to the filter slot defining structure and the latter can readily be constructed asa unit with a pump, this requiring but a slight change in the construction of the gear plate cover.

Filtering of the'oil flowing into the inlet chamber 28 throughV the inlet 28 is'accomplished when the fiuid fiows through the filter slot 54 effectively in the area between the corners of the cleaner blade, The slot is kept clean effectively by the cleaner blades, which are particularly effective because of the fact that the corners project into the slot, thereby to provide an effective cutting and throwing out action upon foreign particles or sludge '16, as shown in Fig.5.

The filter of the present invention is not only advantageous from the vstandpoint of simplicity and economy of manufacture and effectiveness of operation, but it also minimizes the number of rotary seals which may be required. In the instant case merely a good running lt between the shaft -32 and the gear cover plate 22 is required. It is also light so as to add but little load upon the'pump driving motor.

While the present invention has been described inconnection with details of an illustrative embodiment, it should be understood that these details are not intended to be limitative of the invention, except insofar as set forth in the accom- 1. A rotatable filter assembly comprising a thin square cleaner blade and circular supporting discs secured to opposite sides of said blade,

said discs being dimensioned to leaveexposed only the corner portions of said blade, and said discs and blades being centrally apertured for driving cooperation with driving means.

2. A combined liquid pump and filter unit, including in combination, a pump gear cover plate having an axially outwardly projecting annular straining wall and a pump inlet passageway extending through said plate and the inlet end of which is located radially inwardly of said wall, a filter unit cover plate located adjacent said .pump cover plate and having an annular strainer wall in axial alignment with and projecting axially toward said first wall, securing means disposed radially outwardly of said walls for supporting said plates in fixed spaced relationship with adjacent ends of said walls being spaced apart a slight distance, thereby to define a central cavity communicating with said inlet passageway and a narrow annular planar filter slot communicating with said cavity, a rotatable pump shaft having a portion extending through said gear cover plate into said cavity, a cleaner plate assembly mounted on said shaft in said cavity and including a cleaner plate having a portion extending into and rotatable in said filter slot, a housing surrounding said plates and defining a liquid inlet chamber, and means for supplying liquid to said inlet chamber whereby liquid flows through said annular slot into said cavity and thence into said pump inlet passageway.V

3. A combined liquid pump and filter unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said securing means disposed radially outwardly of said walls includes angularly spaced apart radially outwardly extending structures on said filter cover plate, said structures and gear cover plate having aligned apertures, apertured spacer shims located between said plates with these apertures in alignment with said first mentioned apertures, and common securing bolts passing through said cover plates and shims.

y DAVID J. MUNROE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

